Q&A With DIY Home Improvement Enthusiast and Money Saver
The Lauren Baker Interview
I had the pleasure of interviewing an Instagram nano influencer and artistic home renovator via email, Lauren Baker. Baker is a 26-year-old from Mid-Michigan and a financial analyst at the State of Michigan with a master’s in public administration from Central Michigan University. Aside from her academic accomplishments and exceptional credentials, Baker has been living out her design dream with DIY budget-friendly home improvements for more than seven years. What started as painting her room as a senior in high school evolved into more challenging and complicated renovations during her college career.
Q: Who Inspired You to Make DIY Home Improvements?
A: My mom was a significant influence on me growing up. She bought my childhood home as a single parent and, with my uncle’s help, fixed up an extremely run-down, vacant home. I gained the ability to see potential in almost any house from that experience.
Q: Do You Consider Yourself a Creative Home Improvement Innovator?
A: I think I’m creative because I can envision what a space could be in my head before seeing a design on paper or samples of materials. I love old homes and try to take cues from anything original to the house or architectural elements from when the house was built. This can definitely take some creativity when a majority of the original elements are gone, there is a mix of elements from different eras, or it’s too costly to replace the parts that aren’t original.
Q: Which Social Media Platform Do You Feel You Use More Often to Get DIY Inspiration and Why?
A: Definitely Instagram. The DIY community is so welcoming and supportive. I’ve met so many people who are doing incredible work and are always hyping me up through my successes and challenges.
Q: Do You Feel the Internet and Social Media Have Sparked the Influx of DIY Home Improvements?
A: A resounding yes. Home improvement shows on HGTV and DIY Network have been popular for a long time, but social media takes it to a whole new level that’s so much more personal and attainable. When I started DIY, blogs were becoming huge and were the primary way I learned new skills. Now with reels, we have access to both bite-sized video how-tos in addition to longer form content.
Q: Why DI WHY?
A: When I started out, DIY was about creating a space that was my own, which is still true today. It’s also become a sort of therapy for me to take a space that’s been neglected and bring out its full potential. I’ve learned so much about myself, along with gaining countless new skills. It’s enlightening to reflect on what the spaces looked like before and who I was within those spaces. I learn and grow the most when a project isn’t going as smoothly as I’d hoped or when a new skill isn’t coming to me naturally.
Q: What Are Your Aspirations as a Social Media DIY Budget-Friendly Home Improvement Influencer?
A: My main goal is to be able to make others feel comfortable and confident in their ability to improve their homes. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to hire a professional to paint or change a light fixture. You just have to have a willingness to learn and a little patience.
Q: What Would You Say to People Who Feel They Are Not Creative Enough to Implement DIY Home Renovations?
A: If you want to change your space but are unsure where to start, I suggest going on Google, Pinterest, or Instagram and looking up various design styles. Maximalist, mid-century modern, craftsman, eclectic, cottage-core, etc. Make a note of what you like or don’t like and adjust your searches as you go. Just searching “maximalist home” might come up with too many bright colors for your taste, so try “moody maximalist home” instead. If you see an item you like, but it’s out of your budget, or you don’t know how to make it, search “how to make [item].” Chances are, you’ll find a tutorial that can point you in the right direction.
Q: Do You Feel It Is Essential to Share DIY Good, Bad, and Ugly With Your Followers?
A: Absolutely. On social media, in general, it is so easy to look at someone’s profile and think their life is perfect or they have it all together, but that’s so far from reality. The same thing goes with DIY. It is easy to look at someone else and say, “they are so good at that, they are so talented, I could never do that.” Especially if that person is only sharing the things that go right, no matter how long someone has been in the game, there are always going to be things that go wrong with DIY and home improvement projects. There probably wouldn’t be enough content if everything always went right!
Making mistakes is part of being human, and DIY is no exception. I want to show my mistakes and struggles so that people know it’s okay to mess up, especially when starting out. I also think I learn the most when I make mistakes. It makes me take the time to learn the mechanics of what I’m doing and understand why the mistake happened.
Q: The Pros and Cons of DIY Home Renos?
A: Some pros are that you can get the satisfaction of creating your own space and can often do it much cheaper than the cost of hiring a professional. The quality of work won’t be the same as a professional, but that’s okay. You can have a project that is affordable, fast, or high-quality, but you can’t have all three (even if you hire a pro). To me, DIY is about affordability and learning, so I’m willing to compromise on speed to have an outcome I’m happy with.
Not necessarily a con, but something to think about is safety. Always research how to properly use power tools and wear personal protection such as safety glasses and a respirator. Another thing to consider is hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead. If you’re working in an older house, you should test for these materials and take proper precautions. Always put your safety first and hire a professional if you can’t safely do the job.
Q: What Are Some Tips You Would Share With Budget-Friendly DIY Home Improvement Beginners?
A: Don’t be afraid to start. I used to do SO much research before starting any project to the point that I would be so afraid that if I messed one thing up, it would all be ruined. Some research is essential (especially knowing proper safety precautions for tools), but too much is overwhelming. Messing up is part of the process.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s family or someone online. The internet can be a scary place, but many people are more than happy to help out. You have to start somewhere.
Q: Does Brewed Bungalow, Your Instagram Handle, Share Any Significance To Your Interest In DIY?
A: I came up with the name from my love of craft beer, coffee, and the style of my house. You’ll often find me DIYing with a beer in hand, and I know many people who also enjoy “project beers” while they work in their homes.
A less standard definition of brew is “a mixture of events, people, or things which interact to form a more potent whole.” I hope to create a community where people come together to lift each other up and make each other and our homes stronger.
